**4. Registration procedure and analysis of registered insecticides**

#### **4.1 Registration procedure**

#### *4.1.1 Legal and institutional framework*

In Cameroon, laws exist that guide the distribution and appropriate use of agrochemicals especially synthetic pesticides. These laws concern the use or misuse

#### *Insecticide Use and Application in Cameroon DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102634*

of pesticides and align with certain international conventions (e.g. Stockholm, Rotterdam, International Plant Protection) of which Cameroon is a signatory. One important law is No. 2003/003 of April 2003 concerning phytosanitory measures or crop protection practices. According to this law, pesticides are substances or group of substances (example insecticides) used to destroy or control below threshold levels crop pests, disease vectors, species that are undesirable to plants and animals or negatively affect the entire value chain of agricultural products. Pesticides can cause harm to humans, animals or the environment if not properly used or disposed.

Also, some pesticides residues or phytosanitary products may accumulate in organisms after repeated applications andthis may cause diseases and subsequently death. For this reason, laws and decrees are usually published to regulate the sale, storage and use of all phytosanitary products that enter the Cameroonian markets. In relation to this, some products or active ingredients that are identified as toxic by the competent authorities have been banned and removed from the market. This Law documents the principles and rules governing plant protection in Cameroon. Generally, pest control is carried out through (i) the development, adoption and adaptation of standards, (ii) the prevention and fight against pests of plants and plant products, (iii) theuse of pesticides that are safe to human and animal health and for the environment, (iv) the dissemination and popularization of appropriate techniques for plant protection, (v) control of the import and export of pesticides.

Furthermore, chemical treatments are applied in accordance with good agricultural practices issued by the competent authority in order to protect human and animal health and protect the environment from hazards arising from the presence or accumulation of pesticide residues. Any natural or legal person wishing to perform phytosanitary treatments in a professional capacity must first be approved by the competent authority. In addition, only registered pesticides or those with a provisional sales authorization must be imported, distributed, packaged or used in Cameroon. All plants, plant products, soil or growing medium, bodies and biological pest control products are subject to: phytosanitary inspection regardless of their place of production, multiplication and storage and their mode of transport; control during their manufacture, import, export, packaging, distribution and use.

#### *4.1.2 Procedure for registration in ECCAS and Cameroon*

The procedure for registration of pesticides in Cameroon is almost the same for the countries in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) region although there might be some slight differences. This procedure has been endorsed by the Central African Pesticides Committee (CPAC) in collaboration with all the ECCAS countries [13]. The procedure involves three main steps:

Step 1: Submission of a complete registration application file to the Permanent Secretariat of the Central African Pesticides Registration Committee (CPAC) together with payment of an examination fee. The file is then forwarded to experts for examination.

Step 2: After examination of the file, CPAC may decide to either (i) register the pesticide in Central Africa region for 10 years; (ii) grant a Provisional Sale Authorization (PSA) for a two-year period pending further studies; (iii) retain the file under study pending additional information or (iv) refuse to register the pesticide. A registered pesticide is issued a unique number that is valid for all CPAC member states.

Step 3: The CPAC Permanent Secretariat transmits the results of the deliberation to the applicant and to the member states, and publishes the list of registrations and PSA in CPAC periodical.

## *Insecticides - Impact and Benefits of Its Use for Humanity*

The pesticide registration application file comprises all information necessary to assess the efficiency of the pesticide and the potential hazards that such a pesticide might pose to humans, non-target organisms and the Central African environment as a whole. It includes all information on the identification and the physicochemical properties of the product and the active ingredient, toxicology, effects on the environment and wildlife, the residues as well as information on the safety measures on the use of the product [13]. The file includes the following items submitted in French or English:


The registration criteria comprise of:


The files include physico-chemical, biological efficacy, analytical, toxicology, environmental, residue and packaging and labeling files. The files shall comprise only abstracts of these studies. The complete studies is made available to CPAC on request.

Labeling of pesticide containers is designed as a means of attaining a high level of communication between the pesticide dealer and the user. Therefore, it should be clear and concise and should contain fundamental data for the use of pesticide in complete safety and with guaranteed efficiency throughout its life span. The label should describe the content, present a clear visible indication of the hazard, direction for the sound use of the content, name and address of manufacturer as well as manufacture and expiry dates. Additionally, a specification sheet or technical notice should be enclosed to supplement information on the description of active ingredients, direction for use and necessary precautions.

The importation, sale and use of pesticides in Cameroon are regulated by Law No. 2003/003 of 21st of April 2003 regarding phytosanitary protection, particularly

## *Insecticide Use and Application in Cameroon DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102634*

in section 1 of chapter III of the law. Here, it is clearly stated that only registered phytosanitary products or products that have a Provisional Sale Authorization (PSA) could be imported, distributed, conditioned or used in Cameroon. These products are supposed to be marketed and used only in their original packaging material. In addition, equipments used for the application of pesticides are supposed to respect specific norms. To this, their production, importation and distribution in Cameroon are regulated by the law. Interested persons are supposed to submit an application file for certification of the equipment to the National Commission for Homologation of Pesticides and the Certification of phytosanitary equipment (CNPHCAT) and must pay an evaluation fee. Registration is a process at the end of which a competent authority approves the importation, distribution and use of a product after results of scientific analysis indicate that the product is effective, does not present any risks or danger to humans, animals or the environment when used as recommended.

The regulation binding the registration of pesticides in Cameroon is the same for the countries in the ECCAS. This regulation was put in place by CPAC in collaboration with all the ECCAS. The regulation clearly indicates that a pesticide may not be homologated unless its formulation conforms to the following criteria:


Where most of the above criteria are respected, a Provisional Sale Authorization (PSA) is granted, which will be valid for a limited period of 2 years nonrenewable. Registration of a product involves the following:


Individuals or group of persons who intend to submit a phytosanitary product for registration are supposed to deposit an application file to the National Commission for Homologation of Pesticides and the Certification of phytosanitary equipment (CNPHCAT) and must pay an examination fee. This commission is created in MINADER but includes one or two members from other government ministries such as Ministries of Scientific Research and Innovation, Higher Education, Public

Health, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Environmental Protection and Nature Protection among others. The chair of the commission is the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development as stated in chapter IV of the Prime Ministerial Decree no. 2005/0772/PM of 06 April 2005. This decree also provides details on procedure for submission of a phytosanitary product for homologation in its chapter II.

### **4.2 Analysis of registered insecticides**

The list of pesticides registered in Cameroon as of 04 March 2021 by the National Commission for the Homologation of Phytosanitary Products and Certification of Treatment Equipment housed within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the control of crop and wood pests and for public health uses is estimated at nearly 900 pesticides, 90% of which are pesticides and 10% growth regulators [14, 15]. Of this list, insecticides represent about 34% of the total registered pesticides. It is subject to periodic renewal, but provides a framework that is binding on all at the national level. The toxicological class of insecticides according to the World Health Organization classification, indicate that 2% are in Class Ia (extremely dangerous) for use in food storage; 3% of registered insecticides are in Class Ib (very dangerous), including insecticides and nematicides used to treat cotton, tomatoes, plantains, vegetables; 32% in Class II (moderately dangerous); and 63% in Class III (slightly dangerous) [14].

Of the 311 insecticides registered by March 2021, mostare registered for use on cotton (24.4%), tomatoes (22.5%), cocoa (21.9%), and public health (13.2%) (**Figure 4**). **Table 2** shows the different sectors on which insecticides are registered, major group of insecticides and their percentages, target pests and examples of main active ingredients.

From **Table 3**, 11 commercial insecticides are registered with characteristics of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) comprising 07 active ingredients according to World Health Organization. These HHPs are registered only for banana/plantain, woods, cotton, stored products, and tomato. Cocoa with 68 registered insecticides has no active ingredient which is HHP.

Only four biocontrol agents have been registered (*Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki*, *B. subtilis*, emamectine benzoate, and a nuclear polyhedrovirus). These microbial biocontrol agents are to be used mainly on caterpillars infesting cabbage and maize as well as for public health. So far, no botanical insecticide has been registered in Cameroon although several are used by farmers—including neem aqueous extracts,

**Figure 4.** *Distribution of insecticides registered in Cameroon.*


#### *Insecticide Use and Application in Cameroon DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102634*

#### **Table 2.**

*Target pests and major group of insecticides and active ingredients registered for different sectors in Cameroon.*

neem oil, wood ash, pepper extracts, Piper spp. powder, and water extracts of tobacco and hemp.
